Zimbabwe Prime Minister, Richard Morgan Tsvangirai, to address agricultural leaders and investors, calling on them for urgent action and much needed investment.
Prime Minister Richard Morgan Tsvangirai will present Zimbabwe’s potentially vast and profitable agro-business sector and will call on investors to join him in returning the country to economic growth and stability during the EMRC-UNDP AgriBusiness Forum from 16-19 October 2011 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
“Agriculture is the backbone of the Zimbabwean economy, and as such it must be supported. We must move from food crisis to food security,” he states. “The country requires strategic partners as well as strategic investors to move forward on a sustainable economic path. We cannot say enough of what needs to be done in Zimbabwe.’’
In response to the land issues that have plagued the country in the recent years, the Prime Minister will showcase, in front of a 500 strong crowd of the world’s leading private and public sector agricultural experts, financiers, investors and civil society, strategies to engage productive farming across the country. “In terms of trade, Zimbabwe is the logistical hub of the SADC region and this position needs to be captured and maximized for economic growth,” the Prime Minister adds.
This year’s EMRC-UNDP AgriBusiness Forum 2011, entitled ‘Engaging the Private Sector for Africa’s Agri-Food Growth’, is bringing the private and public sector together to focus on issues such as the identification of inclusive Agri-Food value chains, boosting international trade, increasing productivity, livestock and finance for agriculture.
Acknowledging that Zimbabwe has lost its former status as the ‘bread basket’ of Southern Africa, the Prime Minister has identified clear objectives to ensure growth. “The Government must create a Land Bank that will give loans to farmers and extension and training services need to be improved. The country needs to assist farmers with regards to inputs to small scale farmers, until the commercial farming sector has been organized.”
Although the country’s agricultural recovery has been slow, it accounts for 19% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, 25% of the country’s export earnings and employing 0.5 million people, with tobacco, cotton and horticulture contributing 30% of export earnings.
In an effort to stabilize the sector, the Ministry of Finance is proceeding to rationalizing the use of 99 year leases as collateral to allow farmers to borrow money. In addition, there has been recognition that more has to be done to ensure the timely disbursement of inputs and fertilizers and to ensure that harvests and yields are not affected.
The potential is there and the country is endowed with competent human resources and natural resources. The Prime Minister will therefore bring a message of hope and clearly tell the AgriBusiness Forum audience that the country’s goal is to move away from the current political crisis and move towards an economic thrust to improve the livelihoods of the population.
The AgriBusiness Forum 2011 is expecting around 500 participants, bringing together international agricultural and livestock experts, multinationals, farmer and private sector associations, financiers, donor organisations, investors and many more, to discuss strategic policies and establish investment and business partnerships for the Agri-Food sector, officially acknowledged as a pivotal sector for the African continent’s growth.
Source: Emrc press release
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